Storm-front vehicles.



G. W. SCOTT.

'STORM FRONT FOR VEHIGLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1907.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. W. SCOTT. STORM FRONT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18,1907.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Fi .2. g a? 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED HTATFJH PATENT OFFTQE.

GEORGE W. SCOTT, OF TROY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE STAR STORM FRONTCOMPANY, OI TROY, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

STORM-F3011 '1 FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed September 18, 1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen WV. Scorr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Troy, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Storm-Fronts forVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in storm fronts for vehicles.

The object of my invention is to provide a storm front which can bequickly and easily placed in position or removed.

My invention consists in constructions and combinations of partshereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of avehicle body sh ing my improved device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is afront view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the partsshowing a portion of the buggy top partly broken away to betterillustrate the parts, which are in their inoperative positions. Fig. 4is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the frame ofthe storm front proper. Fig. 6 is a detail hereinafter referred to.

Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference in theseveral views.

In said drawings a represents the body of any ordinary form of vehicle,a the top, a the front bow of the top. Hinged to the bow, a is the stormfront proper, b, consisting of a frame covered with suitable waterproofmaterial having a window therein in the usual way. The frame ispreferably hinged to the bow through the medium of an intermediatestrip, 5", the frame proper being hinged to the strip I)", and the stripsecured direct to the bow in any suitable manner. The frame of thisfront is illustrated in Fig. 5 and consists of top and bottom tubes, 679 with side rods, 6 o inserted in the ends thereof. Each of these siderods is formed with a forwarding extending ofi'set portion, 7), for thepurpose hereinafter described. The upper end of the rod is bent at rightangles to the main portion as indicated at b and the lower por-Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Serial No. 393,497.

tion of the rod is bent back upon itself as indicated at 6 then twistedabout the main portion and extended at right angles thereto as shown atZ2 these extending ends 6 and 6 being inserted as before stated in theends of the top and bottom tubes. The parts of the frame will be heldtogether by the water-proof cloth composing the front, with the offsetportions 6 extending through slits in the clot-h as shown.

Located on each of the studs, a, to which the side brace a is attached,between the side brace and the frame bow a of the vehicle top, is acoiled spring, 0, one end of which is extended rearwardly a shortdistance as shown at c, and is provided with a laterally projectingU-shaped portion or hook 0 adapted to engage the brace 0:. The other endof the spring is offset as shown at c and has a rearward portion, 0*,having at the end thereof an eye, 0 adapted to engage the offsetportion, 6 of the storm front frame. The springs, c, are adapted toexert their influence so as to hold the storm front frame in theposition indicated in Fig. 3, in which position the front will lie justbeneath the vehicle top.

When it is desired to place the storm front into position for use theframe will be pulled down against the tension of these springs in theposit-ion shown in Fig. 1 and an apron, 6%, attached to the lower end ofthis frame by any suitable means, the frame preferably having the lowerends of the side rods 72 b bent into hooks (Z adapted to engage withhoops, (Z on the apron (Z,- this apron being attached to the dash andtoe rail of the vehicle in any suitable manner but preferably in themanner shown in my pending application Ser. No. 370,586, in whichnon-elastic straps d attached to the inside of the apron and also to thetoe-rail (i are employed, as shown in Fig.1. l/Vhen the storm front isdrawn downwardly to its position and the springs thereupon placed undertension, there is a tendency for the coils of the springs to be throwninwardly against the vehicle top] To overcome this I have located oneach of the studs a, between the brace a and the spring, an upwardlyextending arm 6, having a hook shaped end 6 ofiset inwardly and adaptedto engage .the outside coil of the .spring 0. This device not only holdsthe spring in its proper position but also provides means for adjustingthe tension of the spring by loosening the nut a and moving the armabout the stud in either direction so as to cause its hook-shaped end toengage the coil of the spring at different points.

It will be seen that I have thus provided a storm front which can bevery quickly and easily placed in position. The tension of the springsbeing such as would tend to throw the frame, I), up into'its positionunder the vehicle top. It will be seen that by simply slipping the loopsoff of the hooks, (P, the front will automatically return to itsinoperative position. At the same time When the parts are in theirposition for use the tension of these springs will hold the apron, d,taut, this apron in fact being the means which hold. the storm frontframe down in its operative position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim,

1 A storm front for vehicles consisting of a hinged frame or door andmeans for connecting said hinged frame or door to the upper part of thevehicle top, springs on each end of said frame or door adapted tonormally hold said frame or door in the upper portion of said vehicletop, each of said springs being formed with a long and short arm, and acoil intermediate of said arms, the long arm being substantiallyU-shaped and formed at its outer end so as to engage the hinged frame,the shorter arm being provided with a hook to engage the vehicletop-prop, the coil of said spring being adapted to be secured on theside brace stud as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a storm'front for vehicles, a hinged frame or door, springs ateach end of said door, each of said springs being provided with a coilintermediate a long and a short arm, said coils being adapted to engagea stud or projection on the outside of the vehicle top while the longarm engages the hin 'ed ,door or frame on the inside of said vehlcle,the shorter arm of said spring being formed with a hook to engage theside brace to prevent the coil from turning on said stud when thesprings are operated, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a storm front for vehicles, a hinged door or frame, springs forholding said door normally in a raised position, said springs being eachformed of a single piece of spring material and having two arms and anintermediate coil, one of said arms and the coil being connected to theoutside of said vehicle top means for holding said coil and the otherarm being off-set to pass apron to the door or frame to hold said dooror frame in operating position against the tension of said spring,substantially as specified.

5. A vehicle top and its frame, a storm front hinged to the said frame,a side brace connected with said frame, a coil spring also connectedwith said frame, one end of said spring engaging said brace and theother end of said spring being ofiset around said frame and connected tosaid storm front so as to hold said front in inoperative position undersaid top, and means for holding said front in operative position againstthe tension of said spring, substantially as specified.

6. A vehicle top and its frame, a storm front hinged to said frame, aprojecting stud on said frame and a side brace connected to said stud, acoil spring about said stud, one end of which rests against said bracethe other end being ofiset around said frame and extended rearwardly andconnected with said storm front, the influence of said spring being in adirection to hold said front normally under the vehicle top, the meansfor holding said front in operative position against the tension of saidspring, substantially as specified.

7. A vehicle top and its frame, a storm front hinged to said frame aprojecting stud on said frame, a brace connected .to said stud and acoiled spring about said stud engaging said brace at one end and havinga connection to the storm front at the other, and a hook-shaped arm onsaid stud engaging the outer coil of said spring, substantially as forthe purpose specified.

8. In a vehicle, its top frame, a storm front frame hinged to the upperpart of said top frame, the storm front frame having an offset extensionon one side, a coiled spring connected to said top frame, said springhaving one end extended and slidingly connected with said offsetextension, the other end .of said spring being secured to said topframe, the tendency of said spring being to hold said storm front ininoperative position under the vehicle top, and means for holding saidstorm front in operative position against the tension of said spring,substantially as specified.

9. In a vehicle, a top frame, a storm front frame hin ed to the upperpart of said top 1 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 1 frame, saidstorm front frame consisting of set my hand this 12th day of September,top and bottom tgibes andd sige rocclls eXtend- 1907.

in into saic tn es, sai si e r0 s havin rw ofi set extension and beingbent at their lowe? i GFJORGE SCOTT ends to form hooks, and springsconnected Vitnesses:

With said top frame and engaging said off- GEO. S. LONG,

set extension, substantially as for the pur- Gno. H. PEARSON.

pose specified. i

